Thursday, 19 February 2015

A Coastal Life For Me - Restoring Calm Into My Life

Since losing my Mum to cancer back in September 2006 life has been pretty rocky. There have been many storms pass through my life and at times I have felt like the whole world was literally crashing down around me. The grief of losing my mum was almost too much to cope with and within four months of losing her, my marriage broke down. I admit, I was a complete mess.

Within a year I became much stronger and I let my husband back in to share my grief. We needed to start over again, so we packed up our house and moved away to live in a tiny fisherman's cottage that overlooked the Torridge estuary in Appledore, North Devon.

This remote village beside the sea completely changed my whole outlook on life. With nothing but sea air and the natural beauty of North Devon my husband and I reconnected. We fell in love all over again and excitedly made plans for a better future together.

Everyday we would walk to a quiet little spot next to the Lifeboat Station and just sit; talking and absorbing the serenity of this beautiful place. I always tell everyone that the sea helped to heal my broken heart and that this tiny, rural village, tucked away in North Devon most definitely restored the calm back into our lives. We still missed Mum like crazy but we knew life had to go on without her and the best way for us to deal with the huge hole she had left behind was to completely change our lives.

With it's buzzing quay, picturesque winding back streets brimming with colourful cottages and quirky corners, Appledore is a place that you just can't help but feel relaxed when you visit.

Most days I would walk from Appledore Quay along the coastal path to Westward Ho! It is about three miles in total and boasts stunning scenery that is peaceful and calming. Plus the beach at Westward Ho! is totally amazing.

I realised that being beside the sea every day, calmed me in a way I never thought possible. Appledore soothed my broken heart, repaired our marriage and strengthened our Family. We knew what we needed to do next, so we packed up our house once again and headed back to Essex. This time to live deep into the Essex countryside. We had always lived in London and big busy towns, so making that decision to live rural was quite a big step. It has been one of the best decisions that we have ever made.

These days to restore my calm I walk along The Quay in a pretty little Essex town called Burnham on Crouch. I feel completely invigorated as I walk here, breathing in the fresh air and enjoying the local wildlife, passing other walkers and kids happily crabbing along one of the jetty's.

A place of calm. A place that helps me to clear my head. The magical powers of the coast de-stress and relieve anxiety. I love it here.

Where do you go to restore your calm?

* This #BetterPlaces post is in support of the Syndol Headache Relief ‘Find Your Better Place’ campaign with BritMums. Syndolis now formulated for headaches. Visit www.syndol.co.uk for online resources with information about headaches and how to restore calm in your life.

What a stunning place. You are very lucky to be there. I am sorry of your loss. That doesn't help I know but I can't ignore it. I lost my mom 10 months ago & still feel in the abyss. I wish I had a calm place as I just feel lost.

Lovely story and I get this totally. I often wonder if I will do the same, I get quite panicky about my family getting older now. To lose your mum must be the hardest thing in the world and I'm so glad that the beauty of the coast helped to heal your heart to enable you to carry on. Sam xx